


Miracle on Second Street

by mysticalflute



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Holidays, Jewish Snow White, No Magic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-16 14:05:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16955478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticalflute/pseuds/mysticalflute
Summary: Emma Swan doesn't believe in Santa Claus. Mary-Margaret and David Nolan don't believe they'll ever be parents. One bearded old man wants to prove all of them wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

Ten year old Emma Swan took a seat outside the group home, staring up into the cold, inky blackness above, the winter stars twinkling back down at her. She could hear the sounds of the Christmas party in the group home, but she couldn't stand to be in there another moment, even if Santa was there bringing joy to her housemates.

 

It hadn't taken long for Emma to realize that "Santa" was a code word for parents to buy things for their children, as every year, when Emma had wished for 'what she really wanted' for Christmas… she never got it.

 

Sure, she'd get one present a year sometimes – a doll, a stuffed animal, a cassette recorder, but Emma would be happy with getting nothing for Christmas if it meant she had a family. But Santa couldn't bring that to her.

 

Slumping down in the chair, Emma watched as the snow fell across the lawn, dancing in the streetlights and off the Christmas lights of the houses in the neighborhood.

 

"Emma?"

 

She pulled her jacket tighter around her, not looking at the woman who ran the group home. "What is it?"

 

"You didn't sit on Santa's lap…" Mrs. Morris said with a small frown. "What are you doing out here?"

 

Emma chanced a glance up at the woman, spotting the man in the Santa costume hovering in the doorway behind her. "I don't want to sit on Santa's lap," Emma replied bluntly. "It never worked in the past."

 

"That's not true… last year you got a tape recorder, didn't you?"

 

Emma knew Mrs. Morris was trying to play into the magic of Santa, of the time of year, but she wasn't sure if she could believe in it anymore, and the ten year old narrowed her eyes slightly. "But that wasn't what I asked for."

 

Mrs. Morris frowned a little. "Emma, please… you know Santa does his best…"

 

"You told me Santa would bring anything I wanted. He didn't. You lied."

 

"Emma, please – "

 

The sound of a man clearing his throat broke the awkward tension that had filled the air. Emma turned in surprise to find the man playing Santa was still there, watching and listening to the conversation.

 

"Mrs. Morris, I'd like to apologize to Emma for neglecting to give her what she wanted last year," he said with a gentle smile.

 

Mrs. Morris let out a flustered noise, before waving her hand and going back in the house, leaving Emma alone in the cold, December night with Santa Claus.

 

"Are you going to tell me I've been naughty and I'm getting coal in my stocking?" Emma sniped, turning her eyes back up to the sky.

 

The man sat next to her, heaving out a sigh. "No, Emma. Not at all. You're right. I haven't given you what you really want for Christmas. And I'm sorry for that. So tell me… what is it you want for Christmas?"

 

"I want a family. One that won't return me," Emma said bluntly. "But you should've remembered that from last year. Or are you not the same guy?"

 

There was a strange twinkle in the man's eyes. "I'm not the same man from last year, no."

 

"I didn't think so. You have a much more realistic beard."

 

The man let out a soft, rumbling laugh. "Do I now? Well, unlike some others who play Santa Claus, I don't shave my beard."

 

"Probably smarter that way, to use a real beard and not a fake one."

 

He chuckled softly under his breath, nodding in agreement. "Yes, I would say so, Emma. Besides, the fake beards are itchy. Well, I think I'll take my leave now, Emma. I appreciate you agreeing to talk to me, even if you don't really believe in me."

 

"I never said I didn't – "

 

But the man simply waved his hand and disappeared down the walkway, before disappearing behind the trees at the front of the house, and Emma slumped back against the bench, baffled at the strange man, before deciding he wasn't worth anymore stress or concern and heading back inside the warm, crowded home, unaware of just how wrong she was.

 

* * *

 

Oh yes, Nicholas Claus knew of Emma Swan. He knew her quite well. He had tried his best over the years to get her into a family, just as she requested, but somehow, despite his pulling the strings, things always seemed to fall through with these humans.

 

This time however, he knew of a couple, in a small town far from the crowds of Minneapolis, that had been unlucky in having children. A couple that would be more than happy to take in and work with Emma Swan.

 

Vanishing back to the North Pole, Nicholas took a seat in front of his desk, rolled his shoulders, and began to work his magic.

 

Yes, a file, a note, and an email sent to one Aiden Gold, attorney at law and Thomas Glass, adoption agent.

 

Nicholas planted the seeds. Now all he had to do was make sure a tree sprouted.


	2. Chapter 2

Music, laughter, and the aroma of potato latkes and sweets filled the farmhouse's kitchen. Children played games or danced to the music.  The Menorah's candles flickered in the large window facing the street. It was a typical scene of Hanukkah serenity and joy.

 

For Mary-Margaret Nolan, though, it was a neon sign that reminded her that, despite how much she loved the children currently in her home, none of them were hers. Despite how much she loved the holidays – both Hanukkah and Christmas once she'd married David – it was difficult knowing she and David would never have a child to share this special time with.

 

"Mary…"

 

Mary-Margaret jolted out of her thoughts, meeting the worried  eyes of her former stepmother.

 

"Oh – Regina. Is everything okay? Did you want some more tea?" she asked, placing a smile on her face to ease the other woman's worries.

 

"I'm perfectly fine. It's you I'm worried about. You have that faraway look in your eyes again," Regina replied. "This happens every year, Mary-Margaret. If hosting Hanukkah is too hard for you – "

 

She shook her head firmly. "What? Too hard for me? I'm fine, Regina. Really."

 

"Mary-Margaret, I can see you aren't. If there is someone besides your husband that you can't hide things from, it's me."

 

Mary-Margaret hated that Regina was right, but she shook her head again. "I know, Regina. You already know that I'm not okay. I'm sure you can figure out what the issue was."

 

"Which is why I'm saying if you don't feel comfortable hosting – "

 

"Hosting the holidays is all I have left that makes me feel connected to my mother," Mary-Margaret whispered, her eyes trained on the menorah that flickered brightly in the window. "Even if it hurts to not be able to celebrate them with a child of my own. My mother would want me to continue this tradition, and I will."

 

Regina let out a sigh. "Okay, fine. But you know if it gets to be too much for you that Ruth or I would be more than happy to help."

 

"I know Regina. I appreciate it," she replied with another small smile.

 

Mary-Margaret's eyes wandered over the room again, watching as Henry and Roland moved on to a board game. Little Margot was sitting on David's lap, while Emily, Mei, Alice and Lily listening as he told a story about something or other while Robin, Killian, Ruby, Mulan and  Mal watched with amused smiles on their faces. She could tell Regina didn't want to drop the conversation, but it was for everyone's benefit that they did.

 

"At least the kids are having a good time."

 

"They always have a good time here," Regina said.

 

Mary-Margaret's lips quirked into a more genuine smile as she looked at Regina again. "Well, I'm glad I can make the season festive for them. I was so worried about the sharing Christmas and Hanukkah thing but… I can see it's all working so well."

 

"You always did know how to throw a party, Mary-Margaret. From what I've heard from others, you got that from your mother. I know she'd be proud of you."

 

Mary-Margaret nodded a little. "I hope so. Hanukkah was so important for her to share with people. I'm glad you were willing to celebrate with me when I was still a little girl, Regina."

 

Regina let out a breath, glancing over at the kids, all now engaged in the dreidel. "Despite the circumstances of how your father and I got married, you were a child. You still needed to have a happy holiday. Even if I never could get a hang of making sufganiyot."

 

She took a sip of her tea, before snorting in amusement at the memories of the sufganiyot disasters of her youth. Exploding in the fryer, or the filling somehow squirting halfway across the room, and powdered sugar making it look like it had snowed inside the house. "Yeah, well… that's why I started asking you to make the soup instead," she finally countered.

 

Regina smirked as well. "I'm very grateful for that."

 

David wandered up at that moment, leaning to press a kiss to Mary-Margaret's head as Regina made her way over to speak with Ruth. "I think this was another successful Hanukkah," he said. "Not too worn out from the week, are you?"

 

She shook her head. "No, of course I'm not. I'm used to how busy Hanukkah is. Although it seems to grow louder with each child that comes into our lives, doesn't it?" she teased lightly.

 

"Mom says that's part of the charm of the holidays…" he said wistfully, and Mary-Margaret could tell he was thinking of the same thing she'd been.

 

"I know," she whispered just as the doorbell rang. Wilby, ever the loyal dog, was at the door in seconds barking at the visitor.

 

"Wilby, settle down…" Mary-Margaret said, carefully sidestepping the dog so she could see who was outside, and her heart stopped when she saw their attorney standing on the other side.

 

Swallowing thickly, she pulled the door open.

 

"Aiden? What are you doing here? Is everything okay with Belle?" she asked as her brow furrowed in concern.

 

The noise in the room died down, the radio the only sound.

 

"Belle is just fine. The baby is restless, but she's fine. I hate to interrupt your holiday, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, but I'm here on business," Gold said, looking from Mary-Margaret to David. "Would you mind if we spoke out here?"

 

Mary-Margaret shook her head, stepping out into the frigid night air with David at her side.

 

"What's going on, Aiden?" David asked with a frown.

 

Aiden took a deep breath. "Thomas informed me that he has been contacted about a child that is looking for a home. I know you wanted a baby… but this girl is ten years old. I caution you, she does have a bit of a record in terms of the amount of homes she's been in and her temper is not known to be the best but – "

 

"We'll take her in," Mary-Margaret and David said instantly.

 

Aiden's lips quirked into a small smile as he reached into the bag on his shoulder and pulling out the small folder he had. "I figured you would say that. This is the information I have on her. Thomas, of course, will send you more in the morning. The girl's name is Emma."

 

"Emma…" Mary-Margaret whispered, looking down at the file and attached photograph. "Oh, David look at her. She's beautiful."

 

David smiled at the photo, before looking over at Aiden. "And… this won't backfire on us again? We won't get a call tomorrow that says the system changed their minds about us?"

 

Aiden shook his head. "Truth be told… the reason Emma has been in so many foster homes is because _they_ return _her_ to the system, not the system taking her away."

 

Mary-Margaret felt her heart break as she looked at the photo. "Why would people do that?"

 

Aiden's gaze turned sad, and he shrugged in barely disguised disgust. "Working with people like you and David and knowing how long you two have waited for this… I wish I could understand people like that. But I know you two. I know this is where Emma is going to stay."

 

Mary-Margaret blushed a little. "Thank you, Aiden. You have no idea how much this means to us."

 

"Of course. I'll talk to you both in the morning and we'll get everything taken care of. Happy Hanukkah , Mary-Margaret," Aiden said, nodding once to the couple before turning and going back to his car.

 

Instantly, David spun her around, pressing his lips against hers. "I – I don't believe it."

 

She was shaking when he put her down. "We're going to have a child… a child! A little girl of our own… David, this is a miracle."

 

David nodded in agreement, hugging her again. "Come on. We have to go inside and tell everyone."

 

Mary-Margaret nodded in response, pressing her lips against his cheek with a small smile before taking his hand, gripping the folder tight. "Of course."

 

David opened the door again, and they were greeted with Regina and Ruth in the entryway, identical looks on their faces.

 

"Well?" Ruth asked. "What's her name?"

 

Mary-Margaret wasn't at all surprised that someone in the house had been watching what they were doing on the porch, and smiled, opening the folder and pulling out the photo so their family and friends could see.

 

"Emma," Mary-Margaret said proudly. "Our daughter's name is Emma."


	3. Chapter 3

 

"Emma?" Mrs. Morris called. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

 

Emma rolled her eyes as she looked at the countdown to Christmas she'd made in school. Three days until another terrible Christmas that she'd hate. What could Mrs. Morris want with her now?

 

"Emma?" the woman said again, this time right outside the bedroom door.

 

The ten year old rolled her eyes and put the calendar back on the bedside table just as the door opened. "What do you want?" She couldn't help but feel a bit bitter over what had happened at the Christmas party a couple weeks ago.

 

Mrs. Morris took a seat at the edge of Emma's bed with a small smile. "I have some news for you, Emma."

 

She rolled her eyes. "What, is Santa going to be giving me an ornament with my name engraved on it?" she asked with dripping sarcasm.

 

"No. Well, actually, it isn't up to me what Santa gets for you, anymore."

 

Emma frowned. "Oh. So you're moving me to a new home now?" Had her behavior at the Christmas party really been that bad? Even the old guy playing Santa had understood her frustration. Maybe she'd go live with him instead.

 

"Please just listen to me, Emma. It isn't up to me to buy you gifts anymore because… well… you've been adopted."

 

Emma blinked, her brain taking a moment to process what Mrs. Morris had said. Adopted? Someone actually wanted her? This had to be a joke… right?

 

"You're lying…" she said quietly. "You have to be. I'm ten. I'm too old."

 

"I'm not lying to you. I would never lie to you about something like this. Their names are Mary-Margaret and David Nolan, and they're downstairs right now waiting to meet you," Mrs. Morris said quietly. "They live in Maine, so you'd have to change schools, but I promise you, they really do want to adopt you."

 

She furrowed her brow, trying to find a hint of lying in Mrs. Morris' face, but couldn't find any to her surprise.

 

"…Okay. I'll go downstairs," Emma said, getting off the bed and following her foster mother downstairs to the dining room where the couple was. One look at them and Emma had a gut feeling in her stomach that this was different from the last time she'd been told she was going to be adopted.

 

The woman's eyes were full of tears, and she was looking at Emma with so much love (not pity, not sadness, but _love_ ), that Emma thought she might burst.

 

The man's gaze was no different. His eyes were soft, and he mirrored the same look his wife had.

 

"Hi Emma…" the woman said softly, beaming at her. "I'm Mary-Margaret, and this is David, and we're… we're going to be your parents."

 

Emma nodded, sitting at the table. "Hi… Mrs. Morris told me that you live in Maine."

 

"We do. In a small town called Storybrooke. David's the sheriff and I teach fourth grade," Mary-Margaret said.

 

"Oh. Will I have any siblings?"

 

A brief flash of pain crossed both of the adults' faces, and Emma nearly winced in embarrassment. Okay. That was a bad thing to ask.

 

Finally, it was David who spoke. "No. You'd be our only child."

 

Relief flooded her. "Really? That's okay. I promise," she said with a tiny smile. She could have them all to herself? Good. She was looking forward to that. "Do I have any other family?"

 

"A big one," Mary-Margaret said with a light laugh, obviously happy to be off the topic of other children. "There's my former stepmother and her husband and their kids, David's mother, his brother, and our closest friends and their children. You'll have lots of playmates, Emma."

 

Emma's smile grew a bit more. "Oh, that's good." She didn't mind playing with other kids, but she got annoyed when she had to share everything with him. Especially when they stole stuff from her. Hopefully these two, and the other parents, would be good parents and stop them.

 

Mary-Margaret smiled. "Emma, we have been waiting so long to adopt a child. We're so glad that they matched us up with you. I have an idea. Why don't we take you out for lunch? You can get anything you'd like."

 

"I like grilled cheese and onion rings," Emma said with a smile. "Mabel's Diner has the best onion rings in town."

 

"I think we can arrange that. Shall we go then?"

 

"Really? Right now?!" Emma asked, her eyes lighting up. She was _starving_!

 

David and Mary-Margaret laughed. "Yes, of course right now. Go get your coat and shoes and you can show us the way."

 

In moments, Emma was walking between David and Mary-Margaret through the snowy weather, telling them stories of her childhood while they told her stories of Storybrooke. They owned a farm as well as their regular jobs, and her new grandmother and uncle helped  them out. Mary-Margaret was Jewish, so Emma would be celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah.

 

 They had a dog too – Emma had never had a dog before.

 

Even though part of her was still suspicious of them, part of her afraid that she would be returned again, there was something about the two of them that made Emma feel comfortable and safe in their presence.

 

"When are you taking me to Storybrooke?" she asked through a mouthful of cheesy goodness and swallowing a sip of her cola.

 

"Tomorrow."

 

"Just in time for Christmas!" Emma said with a small gasp. She couldn't _wait_ to celebrate Christmas with a family instead of other orphans who also only got one present. Finally, she'd be able to celebrate Christmas with a family that loved her.

 

"That's right. So Emma… Mrs. Morris tells us you've never had a proper Christmas so… what do you want for Christmas?" David asked.

 

Emma blinked in surprise, pausing. What _did_ she want for Christmas? All she wanted was a family that wouldn't return her, and it looked like she was getting that… she'd never been able to flip through a Toys-R-Us catalog and mark which Barbies or games she wanted. How was she supposed to figure that out in a matter of days? The older kids had stolen the catalog anyway.

 

Emma bit her lip, looking between her new parents. "I… I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't think I'd have a family for Christmas. I didn't think of anything other than a family."

 

Predictably, there was worry written on their faces.

 

"What do you like to do then? Drawing? Sports? Reading?" Mary-Margaret asked.

 

"Um… I like reading and singing… and animals," Emma said, biting her lip. "Sorry if that's not much help."

 

"Don't think that. We'll find gifts for you. We promise. Do you like school?"

 

Emma shrugged as she took a bite of an onion ring. "It's okay. I don't have many friends though. But I like music class at least. And I like science too."

 

Mary-Margaret smiled. "Well that's good! My friend in Storybrooke teaches music. She'll be so happy to have you in her class, I'm sure."

 

She smiled again. How were things going so perfectly for her? There had to be a catch, right? There was no way that these people would be so willing and excited to have her as a daughter. She was a screw up. Damaged goods.

 

Something had to be wrong.

 

Still, Emma would humor them for as long as they'd have her in their home. They were willing to at least listen to her and talk to her like she wasn't just a check from the government. Plus, she'd get away from her annoying foster siblings for a while.

 

* * *

 

Mary-Margaret had been smitten with Emma Swan since Aiden had showed her the photograph of her. Finding out the struggles the girl had gone through had only made her heart break into thousands of pieces, and she knew they had to do something to make her Christmas extra special.

 

It would be a time crunch, she knew. Only days before Christmas – a holiday she didn't pay all that much attention to anyway – left little time for people to go shopping, but one look at Emma and the day they'd spent getting to know her meant Mary-Margaret felt like she had to throw her everything into making Christmas special for her.

 

"David," she said quietly. "How are we going to do this?" she asked with a sigh as they relaxed in their hotel room later that night. "Sure we have some decorations and that small tree but… Emma deserves better, don't you think?"

 

David nodded in agreement, a look of consideration on his face. "Yeah. I agree. But even though we're far from home, we aren't stuck doing this by ourselves. I'll just call Regina and my mother and see if they'd be willing to help make our house Christmas-ready. And tell them what Emma likes so they can get some gifts for her too. Aiden already promised that Baelfire would be willing to be her friend. Ruby and Killian said both Emily and Alice would too. We can do this, Mary-Margaret. Just have faith."

 

She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "You're right. This just happened so fast that I feel like we haven't had time to breathe."

 

"We haven't, really," David said with a small smile as he dialed his phone. "But when we're able to celebrate as a family, it'll be worth it."

 

"I know it will…" she said softly. "David, we have a daughter. We have a child and she's perfect and beautiful."

 

"We do. And we're going to make this the best Christmas she's ever had."

 

Mary-Margaret grinned. "We're going to make _every_ holiday the best she's ever had."

 

* * *

 

It all felt like a dream still. Even as she packed her clothes and few personal belongings up into her suitcase, she still felt like she was going to wake up and find it was all just a fantasy. Finally, she wouldn't be the one standing outside in the freezing weather looking longingly at the car as it drove away with some lucky kid. She was the lucky kid now.

 

"Emma! Mr. and Mrs. Nolan are here!" Mrs. Morris called. "It's time to go, sweetheart."

 

Emma took a deep breath and looked around the shared bedroom. It was strange that she wouldn't be returning to this place. She'd be going to Storybrooke, Maine, with her new parents… and an extended family she'd never had before.

 

She made her way downstairs, feeling the stares of her now former foster siblings shooting right through her as she looked up at David and Mary-Margaret, giving them a timid smile before being led out to their car.

 

"Okay Emma. You ready to head to Storybrooke?" David asked, pulling the driver's door closed and starting the car.

 

"I'm ready."

 

As David pulled out of the driveway, Emma didn't even bother looking back at the foster home she'd lived in for two years. There was no need to – she didn't feel any sadness about leaving it at all.

 

The plane ride was easy, only a little bit of turbulence, and before long, Emma found herself riding through the dense forests of northern Maine, a vast difference from the cities and suburbs of Minnesota. As happy as she was that she was finally out of here, she had to admit… she was pretty hungry.

 

"Um… 'scuse me," she said softly and waiting until Mary-Margaret looked in the backseat before continuing, "I'm hungry. Are we going to stop soon?"

 

"Oh, of course! We'll be home soon, and everyone is meeting us there, so we'll have a big family dinner, okay? It's usually a tradition to go to Ruth's house for Christmas Eve, but everyone wanted to come over to ours to meet you instead. They all brought food, so don't worry about going hungry."

 

"We'll be there in ten minutes. Think you can hold on until then?" David added with a smile.

 

Emma nodded with a smile. A home cooked meal would be better than a restaurant anyway.

 

Before long, they were pulling up to a white farmhouse, a haven against the snowy backdrop that surrounded it. The house was decorated with all of the Christmas trimmings Emma had once imagined, but never thought she'd ever get to experience.

 

"Emma," Mary-Margaret said as she put a hand on her shoulder, "this is your new home."

 

She smiled up at her new mother and nodded. "Thanks… mom."

 

There were tears in Mary-Margaret's eyes as she and David led Emma up the steps, letting Emma be the one to open the front door.

 

The home itself was something out of a Christmas movie. A large tree was in the corner of the room, stacks of presents lined up underneath it. Snowflakes and stars hung from the ceiling, the fireplace had three large and one smaller stocking hung in front of the cozy fire that was burning. A winter village was on one of the tables, and Emma noted some of the homes had a menorah painted on it, rather than a tree.

 

But what really caught Emma's attention was the large banner that hung right in the middle of the room, hand painted and decorated with children's handprints that said 'Welcome Home, Emma!', and the crowd of people that were gathered underneath it, all smiles.

 

"Alright Emma?" David asked with a smile. "This is your family."

 

"Oh!" a grey-haired woman in the front of the crowd cried as she rushed forward to where Emma and David stood. "Look at you. You're so beautiful."

 

"Mother… give her a bit of room," David said, though Emma could hear the amusement in his tone. "I'm sure this is a lot to take in at once."

 

"Oh David, she's my first grandchild. You can't blame me for being excited."

 

Emma smiled up at the woman. "Hi…"

 

"Are you hungry, sweetheart? You've had a long day, I'm sure."

 

Emma nodded, relieved she'd asked that.

 

"Alright. Why we get you a plate of food and then you can meet everyone. Does that sound okay?"

 

She nodded again, and Ruth guided her to the kitchen where a buffet awaited her. Emma had never been allowed to have so many choices before, and she wound up with a plate and two bowls filled to the brim of food.

 

She had to sit with the other kids that were there, but for once, they didn't fight her for food. Instead they just… talked and introduced themselves. Emma slowly felt her guard slip away, and she began to enjoy herself with them.

 

They allowed Emma to open a few presents ("Think of them as welcome home gifts, not Christmas gifts!" her grandmother had said), and before long, she was under the warm covers of her bed with her new purple quilt, stuffed horse in her arms and Wilby asleep at the end of her bed, drifting off to sleep.

 

It was then that Emma heard something strange. She ignored it at first, until the noise got louder and was followed by a very distinctive human laugh.

 

Her eyes popped open, and she pulled herself from the bed and went to the window, eyes widening in shock when she saw a familiar face flying outside her window, in a sled, pulled by nine flying reindeer.

 

She pulled the window open, leaning out, hearing the sleigh bells clear as day.

 

"I promised you, didn't I? Merry Christmas Emma!" she heard in the distance.

 

He was too far away to yell to him without waking up the entire house, so Emma could only hope he'd hear her whisper.

 

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you… I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

 

She had a feeling she was going to have to write a _really_ long apology letter next year.


End file.
